TODAY’s Weather
Life
Sports
See page 5
See page 6
Staff Writer Ben Ries previews the Punch Brothers' upcoming concert
The Sports staff profiles John Jenkins' superlative performance against the Wildcats on Saturday
Sunny, 62 / 39
The Vanderbilt Hustler T h e
Monday, February 14, 2011
v o i c e
o f
Va n d e r b i lt
s i n c e
18 8 8
www.InsideVandy.com
123rd year, no. 15 campus news
basketball
Vandy drops Wildcats game day: No. 23 vanderbilt 81, No. 18 kentucky 77
Students' rights at Vanderbilt under question by organization lucas loffredo Staff Writer
john russell/ VU Media Relations John Jenkins (23) celebrates a 81-77 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday with the student section in Memorial Gym.
The individual rights of students at Vanderbilt are being infringed upon, according to a nonprofit educational foundation that defends freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty and sanctity of conscience. Adam Kissel, vice president of programs at the national group Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), will give a lecture entitled “The State of Student Rights at Vanderbilt” from 5-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23, in Wilson Hall 103. The talk is being hosted by the student organization Vanderbilt Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). YAL President Kenny Tan and Secretary Thomas Choate said
FIRE’s organizational purpose is in line with their own and, as such, chose Kissel to speak, citing his significant public speaking expertise. “(YAL) was attracted to the organization’s commitment to identifying and rectifying restrictive speech codes at universities throughout the country,” Choate said in an e-mail. “Adam Kissel … seemed a logical choice for presenting the organization’s message and how it applies to our Vanderbilt community.” “Since joining FIRE (Kissel) has spoken about individual rights on college campuses in 12 different states and the District of Columbia,” Tan said. “He also spoke (Saturday) at the Conservative Political Action Conference.” Please see fire, page 3
alumni news
Vanderbilt Alumnus wins Facebook competition, interviews George W. Bush Wyatt Smith, Vanderbilt alumnus of the Class of 2010, was chosen to interview former President George W. Bush as part of a nationwide Facebook competition aimed at promoting Bush’s book, “Decision Points.” The Keegan Scholar and former student body president sat down with President Bush for a 40-minute interview on Feb. 7 at Bush’s offices in Dallas, Tex. The Hustler corresponded with Smith through e-mail about his experience. The Vanderbilt Hustler: How did you get the opportunity to interview President Bush? Wyatt Smith: I won the opportunity to interview President Bush through a Facebook competition aimed at generating publicity for the president’s memoirs, “Decision Points.” Contestants were asked to submit five questions that they would ask the president, if given the opportunity. I was in Iraq, studying postwar democratic institution building when I learned about the contest, so I thought that it would be interesting to frame my questions through the lens of my traveling fellowship. My questions at that point focused on the decisions he made to balance civil liberties with security interests in the wake of 9/11, his views on the effect of his HIV/AIDS relief efforts in Africa and his take on the future of Iraq, after the invasion, among other points. I was selected as one of 100 semifinalists and asked to submit a two-minute video explaining why I deserved the chance to interview Bush, which I did from Istanbul, highlighting my traveling fellowship and my plans to join the Teach For America organization, among other points. I was selected as one of five finalists across America, and our videos were submitted to the Facebook community for a vote. Thanks in large
part to the support of the Vanderbilt community, I won that voting competition on Nov. 6 and was chosen for the interview. Since I was out of the country in November/December/January, we had to schedule the appointment for early February. VH: What were your overall thoughts on the President? WS: President Bush welcomed me warmly to his office, and I felt comfortable throughout our entire interview. He revealed many of the talents that led to his success in politics, like when he offered to call my father at the end of the interview to say hello and congratulate him on “doing his duty” as a parent. Some of my reservations with his presidency were confirmed as well, like when he told me that he sees an “ideological struggle” taking place in the world, and the liberation of 25 million Iraqis as a victory in that struggle. Overall, I appreciated the opportunity to speak with him and consider the experience to be a major highlight in my Keegan Fellowship travels. I believe that President Bush’s legacy will evolve over time, just as it does for every president, and that history may reveal him as a visionary for predicting the onset of democratization across the Middle East.
Courtesy of the Office of George W. Bush Vanderbilt alumnus interviewed former President George W. Bush on Feb. 7 after winning a nationwide Facebook competition meant to promote Bush's book explaining his presidential decisions, "Decision Points." VH: What was the most interesting answer the president gave you? WS: President Bush gave a number of thoughtful, candid answers to my questions. Perhaps is most interesting answer came to the aforementioned question, “Do you worry that, in the future, some (presidents) might look back (on your decisions) and say that they have more justification
or reason for expanding executive authority?’ In response, President Bush told me that he saw it as the president’s responsibility to protect executive power and the Congress’ responsibility to check it. If both sides are pushing to advance their power within the system, he reasoned, then checks and balances result in a more even distribution of power among the branches. ■